


Behind Closed Doors

by Dreamflight4630 (Dem0nLight)



Series: Universal [9]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, F/M, Kinda, Secret Relationship, The monsters are all pirates, Undersail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-25 15:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9827354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dem0nLight/pseuds/Dreamflight4630
Summary: Whenever the Skeleton Brothers and their crew arrived in Port, their Captain would disappear with the Duchess until it was time to embark again. The Duchess and the Captain made no secret of their dislike for one another. Yet no one knows what happens behind the closed manor doors.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why is underfell Paps so hot?! I can't deal with it man.

Everyone was tense as they watched the ship draw near. The black flag with the jagged skull emblem fluttered in an almost proud sort of way. Though it was not unheard of to see this ship in harbour, it still made everyone in town nervous.

The gangplank went down and the elder of the skeleton pirates stepped off the boat to shore. Sans was the more familiar of the pair, but that did not make him welcome: he had been known to start fights and terrorize the local women from the second he arrived until the moment he left again. But there was one person on the island who commanded his respect: Lady Tabatha Strong, Duchess and ruler of the prosperous land and its people. Rumor had it that she had managed to beat the skeleton at his own game and ensured that he was never rude to her again.

Even now, the stocky monster bowed to the Lady—a bit more dramatic than necessary, but a sign of submission nonetheless.

"pleasure as always ta see ya, sweetheart," he drawled. "miss me?"

"I did not miss the fights you always start up," came the curt answer. It made the pirate chuckled as he straightened up again.

"you always know just what to say, dontcha your ladyship?" he asked rhetorically with a smirk.

"SANS!" The voice cut through the air like a whip crack and everyone —even the skeleton —flinched at the sound of it. "THIS SHIP IS NOT CLEANED AS I ORDERED IT TO BE. PERFORM YOUR DUTIES _BEFORE_ YOU GO ASHORE, YOU LAZY BONES!"

Almost every eye moved to see when the captain of the fearsome pirate's ship stepped onto the gangplank. More than seven feet tall and wrapped in black, raggedy clothes stood the Great and Terrible Papyrus, one of the most feared swashbucklers in any sea. His face was set with his characteristic scowl that made every observer drop their gaze on instinct.

"right on it Boss," the shorter brother sighed. "i'll leave the two of you to do business then, yeah?"

There were no further words exchanged as Sans swiftly returned to the ship, leaving his brother with Lady Tabatha and the crowd. Papyrus did not bow as his brother did, but instead folded his arms and regarded her coldly while she returned the glare with equal force. Reaching a silent agreement, the two set off towards the manor the Duchess called home. It was their custom to do this whenever the monster pirates docked: the Lady and the Captain going to her home and remaining there undisturbed until the ship was ready to set sail again. The servants took this as an opportunity for time off work, so nobody ever really knew what happened when the two were alone together. But judging off their chilly reception of one another, it could not be very pleasant.

* * *

Papyrus smirked when the door to the manor was opened and the maid cleaning the foyer let out a small shriek of terror. Tabatha ignored the poor girl as she made her way to the stairs, taking the path that would lead to her chambers fastest. The servants downstairs were scurrying by the time they had reached the door, desperate to vacate the house before they were ordered to do so by the Pirate Captain himself; he'd done it before in the most fearsome way possible and there was little doubt he'd do it again.

The pair crossed over the threshold to Tabatha's rooms, the door closing behind them. It was then that he could wait no longer: with a sharp yank, Papyrus caught hold of Tabatha's wrist and pulled her against his chest, a low sound rumbling through his rib cage. The Duchess gasped when she found herself pressed to him, but had no time to comment on it as her mouth was suddenly very occupied with kissing the skeleton who held her.

Deep purrs came from the tall monster as he basked in the pleasure of their kiss. But the human needed air, so he pulled away after a mere minute of enjoying her lips.  
"You missed me a lot, huh?" Lady Tabatha asked cheekily, though her face was still pink.

"SEVEN MONTHS IS REACHING THE END OF MY SELF-CONTROL," was the answer she got before she was getting kissed again, this time all over her face and neck as Papyrus tried to reacquaint himself with her features.

"You didn't write to me," Tabatha commented, her tone sad and slightly accusing. "I've been waiting this whole time...but you never sent word."

"I AM TRULY SORRY FOR THAT, DEAREST," he replied lowly, his tone heavy with obvious regret. "THINGS... DIDN'T WORK ACCORDING TO PLAN."

"Anyone dusted?"

"NO—THANK THE STARS. BUT UNDYNE TOOK BACK THE DOGS AND I AM NOW SHORT SEVERAL CREW MEMBERS. IT WAS NEEDLESSLY DIFFICULT TO RETURN HERE."

"I'm glad you made it," Tabatha murmured, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb before tracing the scar over his eyesocket. "I've missed you...how long can you stay?"

"ONLY A FEW DAYS THIS TIME. METTATON IS WILLING TO TRY A HAND AT PARTNERSHIP AGAIN CONSIDERING HIS OWN CREW TOOK A HIT RECENTLY. HE HAS ARRANGED A MEETING NOT FAR BEYOND HERE FOR LATER THIS WEEK."

"Then we'd best catch up," the Duchess murmured before pressing her lips on his fangs once more.

* * *

"Must you really go?" Tabatha asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face in Papyrus' scarf. The pair were snuggled on the couch and the sun was just setting.

"IT IS FOR THE BEST, DEAREST," he replied. "WE MUST SET SAIL TOMORROW LEST WE MISS MEETING WITH METTATON."

"You know I'll be in here crying when you leave the harbor, right?"

"AS WILL I ONCE I RETIRE TO MY CABIN TOMORROW NIGHT."

The couple rested together in silence before the brunette sat up, looking down at her skeletal lover.

"You need to write to me this time," she ordered. "I'm sick of just waiting for news at every free moment."

"SANS ACTUALLY HAD AN IDEA ABOUT THAT," the pirate captain commented. "HE'S BEEN WORKING ON A PAIR OF CHESTS WITH SHARED SPACE. IF HE PUTS AN OBJECT INTO ONE CHEST, IT WILL APPEAR IN THE OTHER AND CAN BE TAKEN OUT FROM THERE AS WELL."

"Does it work?" Tabatha pressed.

"IT'S STILL ONLY IN ITS EXPERIMENTAL STAGES, BUT THE IDEA SHOWS PROMISE."

"Do you think you could let him stay on the island and continue researching that? It would make communication far easier..." the brunette bit her lip before continuing "...and you wouldn't be inconvenienced by coming here so often."

"MY BROTHER WOULD LIKELY SPEND HIS TIME BEING LAZY WITHOUT MY SUPERVISION AND I WILL NEED HIM AS MY FIRST MATE UNTIL THE CREW EXPANDS AGAIN. AND...IT IS NOT AN INCONVENIENCE TO ME WHEN WE STOP HERE—I FEEL MORE AT EASE SEEING YOUR FACE AND KNOWING YOU ARE ALRIGHT IN THIS WAY."

The two powerful rulers stared into each other's eyes before the lanky skeleton propped himself up onto one elbow to give his lover a brief peck on the lips.  
"I'M SORRY THAT I WORRY YOU," he murmured. "BUT AS OF NOW, THERE IS LITTLE WE CAN DO ABOUT IT."

"I know," she whispered back. "Still, I can't wait for the day when I can wear your ring in public. It will be a long time coming."

"I COULD ALWAYS ABDUCT YOU AGAIN," Papyrus suggested. "MAKE IT SEEM AS THOUGH I FORCED YOUR HAND."

"And risk the whole island trying to assassinate you for the rest of your life? No. We will go about this as planned: you will be our savior, not our enemy, and you will romance me in the public eye so the people will grow to trust you. We must simply wait for the opportunity."

"TO ME, MY LOVE, YOU ARE ALREADY MY QUEEN," the monster crooned. "NO CEREMONY OR WEARING OF MY RING CAN MAKE IT ANY MORE TRUE THAN IT IS."

"You romantic," Tabatha giggled before her smile fell. "There are still suitors seeking my hand. Many are growing determined to have me."

"THEN THEY SHALL FACE MY WRATH," Papyrus snarled. "THE MAGIC THAT PROTECTS YOU WILL SEND THEM BACK TO WHENCE THEY CAME."

"No need to growl," the brunette reprimanded lightly. "So far my absolute lack of returned interest has been enough to discourage them."

"BUT THEY WILL ONLY GROW BOLDER. PERHAPS I _SHOULD_ TAKE YOU WITH ME. WE CAN THINK OF AN EXCUSE."

"Papyrus," Tabatha sighed. "I can handle myself. You know that. Or do I have to put your crew in their places again?"

"I KNOW YOU ARE CAPABLE...YET I STILL WORRY. IT IS THE SAME ON YOUR END, I KNOW."

The couple shared another brief kiss before the Duchess pulled herself from the couch and straightened her skirts.

"I should go to bed now. I don't want to distract you from your nightly work any longer."

"YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY AND TALK OVER ANY THOUGHTS YOU MAY HAVE—MY WORK CAN WAIT IF IT WILL BRING YOU COMFORT."

"We can speak in the morning. You have things that must be put before my desires; don't worry, I understand."

The young woman strode away from her lover with a dignified pose. Papyrus watched her move behind her screen so she could get out of her dress before he too got to his feet and moved to the desk. Taking a sheet of paper, he began to write figures on the page. He heard her getting dressed and clambering into bed, but dared not to lose his intent focus. Once her breathing had settled into a deep, restful rhythm he stopped his writing. When she did not stir, he took another page and began to write a letter to her.

He was awake for hours, ensuring that every word was perfect and honest, pouring his Soul into the writing. When he was done, he pulled another six folded sheets from his breast pocket, each dated a week apart. Gathering them up and placing them on his human's bedside table, he left another note folded up on top of the pile.  
Tabatha would miss him, he knew, so he would give her his words of love in advance. He had written those six extra letters during moments of missing her at sea, longing to see her face and hear her words himself When she longed for him in turn, there would be another letter to read, something to remember him by. He left no signature to keep the servants from knowing who it was that wrote with such affection to their Mistress, but his handwriting was... distinctive. She would know who had left them for her.

"SOON BELOVED," he whispered as he left her room. "SO VERY SOON..."


End file.
